Bible study notes (8 Feb 2019)

Friday 8 Feb 2019

The book of Galatians Chapter 3 Vs 6-14

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The Law Brings a Curse

10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 But that no one is [d]justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

- From this chapter we realise that apostle Paul is taking reference from the old testament

- He is proving that salvation does not come from law

- From the old testaments that’s when we see that salvation does not come by law, but it comes by faith and faith in Christ

- The righteous of Abraham was before the law and because the law was received by Moses in Mount Sinai from the Lord well after Abraham’s time.

- Righteous comes we believe the Lord. In Genesis 15 vs 6. “ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness”.

- he had faith in the Lord and he believed the Lord hence he was counted as a righteous man before the God

- Romans 4 vs 11 “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well.”

- Also vs 22- 24 says “That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord”

- When we believe the Lord, it is accredited/accounted to us as righteousness

- If you have faith and believe in the Lord you are righteousness and no one has the right to stand and accuse you

- Our righteousness only comes by believing Jesus Christ is the Son of God

- If you have faith and beilieve in the Lord you are righteousness and no one has the right to stand and accuse you

- For God qualifies the unqualified

- “God has no grandchildren” meaning righteousness can never be inherited. It is a personal relationship with God and you can only get it through faith

- The first thing you need to know is that Abraham was saved by faith and not the Law meaning we are also going to be saved by Faith and not Law

- Salvation is for the sinner/heathen/gentles

- Paul is using scriptural argument to confirm that our salvation comes by faith and without faith there is no salvation

- Faith is a pre-requisite or requirement for every believer

- So the blessings that were counted in Abraham were counted by faith.

- God preached the good news to Abraham and he believed him.

- It is the same good news today, we are blessed in the same way as was to Abraham

- The true children of Abraham are Jews and gentiles who believe in Christ and all those who believe in the true gospel of the Lord. Those that have believe the Lord of the promised Land

- Genesis 12 vs 1-Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you

- Abraham was told to pack and go to a new land and he believed the Lord. What is surprising he never asked even a single question.

- Just like when we hear the word of God, we do not ask people if we should believe or accept Jesus as our personal Lord and saviour.

- As soon as we hear the word of God we should act swiftly

- We should not lose our faith through things which are not worth it

- We should believe in the inner voice that calls us. from within. The voice of the Holy Spirit

- We should not be like the Israelites who were living in Egypt, who were always ungrateful

- The Lord saved us and said he will make our names great and he always fulfill his promises for they are yes and amen always

- Never allow people to steal your faith or move you away from your faith.

- From vs 10 it is very clear that salvation did not come with the law, but it comes by faith. The law demands from us and it puts us bondage. If you are under law, you are under bondage

- There are some things that we should not accept as they are like law and they always end up putting us in bondage

- Some preachers have abandoned faith and going back to the law

- Why then are we keeping on going back to the law if Jesus redeemed us from the curse of law long time ago?

- Where there is grace there is no law

- The Jews used to stone criminals and sinners, and only crucify when a great sin has been committed. When someone was hanged, it was a great humiliation showing the magnitude of the sin they had committed

- They hanged Jesus on the tree as a sign that a great sin had been committed

- On Paul’s ref : to be hanged on a tree means worse that stoned

- Under Jews law, the criminals, being hung on a tree it means you will be shamed to the public.

- Hence here we see Jesus being hang on the cross and fulfilling that which was promised that he had to come and take the case of the Law

- The law was violated because Jesus had not sinned

- This was the only way He could redeem us from the power/grip law

- The journey of Jesus Christ did not start or end on the cross. By being hanged on the cross it means he violated the law of being hanged on the cross.

- He also said “It is finished” meaning the law had been violated.

- We are no longer living according to the law of the flesh because somebody redeemed us

- By dying on the cross, Jesus took over the power of the law on the cross,

- He carried our curses and he was buried with our curses and he rose clean without any curse.

- They actually saved a murderer and crucified a sinless man so that we can redeemed from our sin.

- Remember whenever someone had he supposed to get a blameless/spotless animal which was offered for him as a sin offering by the High Priest

- Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.

- He took our shame away

- It was a transaction which happened for us.

- A transaction to save us from ourselves and sin then have life and life in abundance

- We do not need to crucify him again or to grief the spirit

- By shedding his blood on the cross it means he perfected us and he purchased us with his own blood

- There are things that leads us into slavery though we are not children of slavery,

- Through Christ we were saved and redeemed

- There is great evidence that there is freedom in Christ, and we need to know who we are in Christ Jesus

- We are only saved by faith and only faith.

- We live by grace and all things are given unto us through faith and His precious grace

- What a Might God we serve